Apparatus for hoisting and handling voting-machines.



PATBNTED ABR. 23, 1907;

, E E. E. RIDGEWAY. APPARATUS FOR HOISTING AND HANDLING VOTING MACHINES.

'AIPLIOATION FILED OCT. 1, 1906- N WITNESSES:

THE mm'ms PETERS 0a., wnsmuarou, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

EPHRAIM E. E. ninenwai or sci Ja n OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 23, 1907.

Application filed October 1,1906. Serial No. 386,953.

To all whom it may concern:

'Be it known that I, EPIIRAIM E. E. RIDGE- wAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at 1323 Z street, South. Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Apparatus for Hoisting and Handling Voting-lrlachines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention for a machine or device cohsists of a base upon which the heavy voting machine is placed and a tripod at the apex of which the power is applied to hoist and h andle heavy voting machines; and the objects of my device or invention are: first: to remove all d anger'to persons while hoisting and adjusting these heavy voting machines. Second: to economize expense and room in the handling and adjusting of these machines, by.

means of which one man can safely and easily handle, set up and adjust a voting machine, which would otherwise require from four to siX men, depending upon the size of the machine handled. Third: to insure absolute safety to these expensive voting machines while being hoisted or handled. Fourth: to furnish a machine or device which can be folded and will occupy but a small space in a buggy or cart and can easily be transported from one voting booth to another. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1, is a general view of the working of the complete machine consisting of the tripod, the base, the shield protecting the machine from being marred by the application of the power, the hooks connecting the machine with the power: Fig. 2, is a detailed drawing of a front view of the tripod which is to sustain the weight of the machine; Fig. 3, is the base, a side view, a top view, an end view, also a view folded: Fig. 4:, is a front view of the hooks which attach the power to the machine: Fig. 5, is a front and side view of the shield which protects the machine from being marred while handled. Fig. 6, is the hooks and cord for drawing the machine out of the packing case onto the base for the purpose of setting the register back to zero, also for applying the power:

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The base AA and BB with plates C and D sustain the weight of the machine after the machine has been placed upon them for adjustment.

E, F, and G, are three long iron supports either hollow or otherwise, so bent and connected at the apex H to form a tripod with sufficient working space for the power to be applied at I and connected with the voting machine at J Any powermay be used with this device, but the Yale and Towne power is preferable.

By applying the power between I and J, the voting machine is raised. to suflicient height to place the leg or support of the machine under it. Afterraising the opposite end of the voting machine in the same manner and placing it on the legs or supports, the machine is in position to be voted.

The plate 0, is made of channel iron one and one-half inches, and is for the purpose of receiving and holding in place the end of voting machine while M is being hoisted to receive the support. The plate D is made of angle or channel iron one and one-half inches, and is for the purpose of receiving the other end of the voting machine. These plates are so adjusted that they are on a level with the inside of the bottom of the packing case which contains the voting machine, and of sufiicient distance apart to receive the ends of said voting machine and enable the operator to draw a voting machine from packing case for the purpose of adjustment or hoisting, also for lowering machine from its legs or sup ports after use in elections and to enable the operator to easily replace the voting machine in its packing case. These plates 0 and D as shown in side view of base (Fig. 3) rest upon iron Ts as connected by pipe (1, screwed in to either T; said Ts aa connected to base A and B, by a short nipple c, which screws into other iron Ts bb, on A and B, as shown in Fig. 3.

The base is made more stable while handled by lengthening with nipples screwed into the lower Ts 6?), and ending with an iron cap 66, to give it the same height as the lower Ts when resting upon the floor. When transporting or storing said base, it may be folded by simply swinging bar A to the right or left until it comes in contact with bar B as shown by the dotted lines in top view of Fig. 3, the nipples 0 serving as pivots. By this plan .of construction the base will adjust itself to any floor even if the floor has an uneven surface.

ICC

The base must be of length I and width to fit the size of the machine to be ITO permit the free workings of the power and also giving space for the upper end of machine to pass up or down in the operation of hoisting or lowering.

I, in Fig. l, is a strong metal clevis. It is attached at the apex H, to E, F, and G, by a strong bolt or rivet. The outside holes of E, and F, through which bolt K passes, are made larger to permit of the spreading of the lower ends of the said E, F, for the purpose of sustaining the power. This also permits of E, F, and G, being folded or placed in a compact shape for removal from one voting place to another or for storage.

. The power is applied at t, which is shown in detail in Fig. 4. A pair of hooks lc'are pendent from the ringi and are adapted to engage with the rear portion of the bottom of the voting machine at J to tilt the same as shown in Fig. 1. The upper portions of the hooks are formed with eyes engaging the ring i, which latter is given an irregular shape and formed with depressions upon opposite sides thereof into which the eyes fit and which cause the hooks to properly adjust themselves for engagement with the projections J upon the voting machine when power is applied.

Fig. 5, is a section of sheet steel forming a shield with the upper end, bent circular at Z, to hold in position on end of voting machine M and N. The sides of said shield mm, are bent forward or the reverse of bend Z, to form a channel for the action of the power when applied to the voting machine.

Fig. 6, consists of a strong flexible cord or cable 0, with hooks 1m, at either end, for the purpose of attaching to voting machine at J J, to enable the operator to draw the voting machine from its packing case out unto base for adjustment or hoisting.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a device for handling voting machines, the combination of a base to support the voting machine, a tripod over one end thereof, and a block and tackle supported by the tripod to engage the end of the voting machine.

2. In a device for handling voting machines, the combination of a base to support the voting machine, a tripod over one end thereof, a block and tackle supported by the tripod, a hook supported by the tackle to engage one end of the voting machine and a shield to be attached to said end of the voting machine to protect the latter from the tackle block.

3. In a device for handling voting machines, a base comprising two parallel longitudinal members, standards near each end of each member, transverse connections between each pair of standards, and transverse supporting plates supported on top of each pair of standards.

4. In a device for handling voting machines, a base comprising two parallel longitudinal pipes, tees near each end of each pipe, nipples screwed into each tee, other tees supported by the nipples, transverse pipes connecting each pair of said latter tees, and transverse angle plates pivoted upon each of said pairs of tees.

5. A shield for protectingthe end of a voting machine comprising a plate hooked at its upper end to engage the top of the voting machine and having its side edges 'bent outwardly to form a channel.

6. In a device for handling voting ma: chines and the like, the combination of a base upon which the voting machine rests, a tripod, and hoisting means carried by the tripod and engaging the voting machine.

7. In a device for handling voting machines and the like, the combination of a base, meansfor applying a hoisting mechanism to the voting machine, and a shield for protecting the voting machine.

EPHRAIM E. E. RIDGEWVAY.

Witnesses to signature. EDNA B. WRIGHT, FRANK H. CUNNINGHAM. 

